In all my years of architecture school and practice, there seems to be a pervasive myth that my job is pretty and easy. Here, I reveal the painful, ugly truth about why it takes so long to build a building, what it is exactly that we do, and why that's not creamer you smell in my coffee.

Monday, June 25, 2007

I was inspired recently by BaxterWatch to have a mole checked out, so off to the doctor I went this afternoon. The doctor checked out the mole I thought might be a problem, a large stain-like mark on the side of my face, and she pronounced it...a liver spot.Kids, I'm 31.Dr. Coolio, whom I see on a regular basis in her white coat, denim skirt, and black-and-red cowboy boots, said the best way to make sure a mole is not a problem is to put a piece of clear adhesive tape (like scotch tape) over it, trace around it with a pen or marker, then stick that tape piece on your calendar a few months from the day you traced it. When that day comes, put another piece of tape on, trace it again, and compare the two. If you see changes, call your doctor."Huh," said I. "So my main 'mole' is a liver spot, and my other weird mole just gets lots of zits in it, I guess 'cuz it's on the side of my face that I hold my work phone on, y'know?""Hmm, let me see it," she said. She rubbed her finger over the raised mole. "You get a lot of pimples in this mole?"I paused. "Yeah...and they take a little while to heal.""This one I'm actually concerned about, Pixie," said Dr. Coolio. "It's raised, has a little bit of asymmetrical coloring, and you say it gets acne that's slow to heal in it." She wrote down a phone number. "Call this number and talk to the dermatology folks on the 6th floor. it'll take a few weeks to get in, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."Also, Colorado is so close to the sun that we have some of if not the highest skin cancer rates in the nation. So wear sunscreen, kids. An ounce per body.

I had the same response a few years ago from my KP doc who determined that one mole was a liver spot and another one was problematic. Hope you get the same result I did---the problematic one was removed and biopsied and was no problem.

Treat yourself to a round of dermabrasion..comes right off. Wait till you get that weird hair thing on the bottom of your chin. One minute it's not there the next it's 6 inches long! I've got witches chin in my thirties!

About Me

I'm a (finally) licensed architect out here in the wild, wild West who kicks butts and punches lists. I focus on designing hospitals, which--between the program and the clients--is a real challenge. I like what I do for a living, and have the site observation photos to prove it. My job is part designer, part technician, part software guru, part counselor, part therapist, part spiritual guide, and part repo man. So don't toy with me, or I'll refuse to sign your Pay Application.

Note and Disclaimer

The content on this blog is not approved by my employers, fellow employees, or any professional organization involved in the design or construction industry. The opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone and should not be considered representative of the opinions of my employers or my profession.
Any professional opinions, design concepts, layouts, and details should be taken with a grain of salt and a large margarita. This blog should not be used in place of consulting a design or construction professional in person, nor should it be a substitute for having a professional review your particular project.
All names and identifying details have been changed to protect the innocent as well as the guilty.
No, I will not design your deck for you.